State Secretary Judith Tielen plans to increase fines and give NVWA stronger enforcement powers, including enhanced inspections and product seizures.

“Every violation is one too many,” said Tielen, who also urged schools and parents to help prevent youth access to vapes. “We will, of course, do what we can to improve, but there are legal challenges and the legislative process takes a very long time.”

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The Chinese-made vapes, flavored with now-banned ingredients like watermelon and kiwi, violate the Netherlands’ 2024 ban on flavored vaping products. The total estimated market value is in the hundreds of thousands of euros, and officials believe the products were intended for domestic distribution.

This marks the second major seizure from the same importer. In May, authorities intercepted 70,000 vape refills containing similar illegal flavorings. While no fines can be issued because the products were confiscated before reaching consumers, the importer must cover the cost of destroying the vapes, the NVWA confirmed.

The bust comes amid a broader crackdown led by junior health minister Vincent Karremans, who in May launched an anti-vaping campaign targeting youth vaping, sales of illegal products, and health risks.

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While concerns were raised about the survival of village supermarkets—especially in towns with under 5,000 residents where tobacco sales made up a substantial portion of revenue—only 27 closures occurred among the 542 supermarkets, market researcher Locatus found.

“That’s better than I expected,” supermarket expert Laurens Sloot said. “The business model of small supermarkets was already under pressure before the tobacco ban. They often have less than 1% profit margin on their annual turnover.”

Larger supermarkets, by contrast, saw just a few percent decline in turnover due to the ban. However, the loss of tobacco foot traffic has hurt village stores more, as smokers may now choose to shop entirely in nearby cities. Retail analyst Peter ter Hark noted that the ban compounds existing challenges like rising labor costs, automation expenses, and shrinking profit margins. He and Sloot both warned that the trend of small supermarket closures will likely continue, with 15% of stores expected to close in the next decade.

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Following significant tax hikes in 2024—24% on cigarettes and 45% on rolling tobacco—about 7% of Dutch smokers quit, while 22% cut down, and 14% switched to cheaper brands, according to the agency’s research. However, the number of smokers buying tobacco abroad surged to 60%, up from 40% in 2023 and double 2020. With neighboring countries offering cheaper options, smokers are evading domestic taxes, weakening the public health impact.

“Policy must focus on reducing purchases of tobacco products made abroad,” the agency stated, urging limits on how much tobacco can be imported for personal use and recommending excise taxes on e-cigarettes to deter youth addiction.

While the World Health Organization touts tax hikes as one of the most effective anti-smoking tools, their impact appears stronger in low-income countries. In wealthier nations like the Netherlands, the ease of border shopping reduces their effectiveness, the agency said.

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Esther Croes, an expert on tobacco at public health institute Trimbos, said strict regulations are needed for products that contain nicotine but no tobacco, and is calling for a ban on new nicotine products entering the market.

“Manufacturers have done this before, as with Swedish snus,” she said. “That also used no tobacco, but cellulose with nicotine. Tomorrow they will use something else. We have already seen nicotine-infused toothpicks. None of this falls under tobacco legislation.” 

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The RIVM surveyed more than 500 adolescents and young adults and more than 450 adults about their vaping. About 40% said that they have reduced their use of e-cigarettes due to the ban that took effect last year. About 22% said they stopped vaping altogether. According to the report, daily use of vapes decreased from 29 to 18%, weekly use dropped from 30 to 14%, and monthly use from 42 to 16%.

Most consumers, according to the RIVM, who stopped vaping did not look for substitutes, such as buying flavors via the illegal market or switching to more harmful products. Those who did opt for illegal flavors mainly sourced them from physical stores in Germany.

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According to NL Times, the announcement comes as the Netherlands has seen an increase in the number of young people vaping in recent years. In 2023, almost a quarter of young people between 12 and 16 years old had tried vaping. “The presence of nicotine makes vapes highly addictive. This is not surprising: nicotine is the most addictive drug in existence after heroin and crack,” the ministry said, citing a report from health institute RIVM.

According to the proposal, the €1,300 first-offense fine for selling vapes online would be increased substantially. Although flavored products are banned and it is illegal to sell tobacco products online, the market is flourishing.

Vincent Karremans , the Dutch State Secretary for Youth, Prevention and Sport, announced the proposal as part of a larger plan to achieve a smoke-free and nicotine-free generation by 2040. He said the government will increase resources for law enforcement to crack down on the illegal vape trade and will launch a communication campaign in 2025 to educate parents about the dangers of vaping. Karremans wants to earmark €3 million for this purpose.

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“Young people seem less aware of the nicotine in vapes. This is a serious issue because once addicted, it is very difficult to quit,” said Esther Croes, a tobacco expert at the Trimbos Institute. She added that nicotine use can disrupt brain development in the long term.

The report surveyed Dutch youth between the ages of 12 and 25 who vape at least once a month. While many said they continue vaping because they enjoy it, nearly 40 percent admitted they did not know whether their device contained nicotine. Additionally, more than two-thirds of respondents said they do not feel addicted.

According to NL Times, data shows that young people feel more addicted to traditional cigarettes than to vapes. Among those who vape monthly, only 28 percent reported feeling addicted, compared to 50 percent of cigarette smokers. Despite these figures, addiction experts warn that nicotine dependence may develop gradually, and that young people may underestimate the difficulty of quitting.

According to the study, many respondents cited flavors as their main reason for starting. Social influence and curiosity were also key factors.

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The Dutch also want the EU to establish a legal framework for cross-border distance sales of new tobacco products, arguing that these allow consumers to bypass national restrictions. According to European news website Euractiv, the Dutch health ministry is urging Brussels to impose “comprehensive restrictions on flavors, maximum nicotine levels, and plain packaging” on e-cigarettes and other nicotine products

In 2023, Dutch MPs voted in favor of a motion by the Democrats 66 party to introduce a tax on e-cigarettes and vapes, although officials say this is unlikely to happen before 2029. Flavored vaping liquids have already been banned in the Netherlands, yet the country is still struggling with a surge in vaping among teenagers, who, health ministers say, are attracted to the flavors.

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